BEIJING - The Chinese government had sent medical teams to 73 countries by 2011 since its first abroad medical team was sent to Algeria in 1963, according to a health service white paper on Wednesday.

The white paper, titled Medical and Health Services in China and released by the Information Office of the State Council, said 56 Chinese medical teams are currently working in 53 countries including Algeria, Tanzania, Morocco and Zimbabwe.

The medical teams provide free medical services for local people, especially people in poverty-stricken areas, and introduce advanced medical technology into the recipient countries.

According to the report, during the past 50 years, the Chinese medical teams have diagnosed and treated a total of 260 million cases, and their work has been much appreciated by the people and fully recognized by the governments of the recipient countries.

So far, about 900 Chinese medical team members have been awarded honors by the recipient countries, and 50 members died during their service abroad, the white paper added.

Also, the Chinese government has been committed to aiding other developing countries in the construction of medical institutions.

Figures from the white paper showed that by the end of 2011, China had helped 52 countries to build 100 hospitals and medical centers and equipped these hospitals with a large number of medical equipment and medicines.

By November 2011, 31 new hospital projects were still under construction in 28 countries, according to the white paper.

In addition, the Chinese government makes annual donations to the World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and other international efforts.

China also vigorously supports international work to combat chronic diseases and human avian influenza, as well as in tobacco control, emergency medical responses and other related technical fields, the white paper said.